Coming Up With Ideas

[Miss Rigi]

This is something that anyone who wants to create a Custom Story faces. What is the content, the story, the motive, the fear? How is it justified? It's something that all writers go through.

So, how do you come up with your ideas? Where is your inspiration, and what is your basis?

[Your Computer]

I watch movies and "let's plays."

[palistov]

I dunno...ideas usually just jump on my face. Like a headcrab, but more awesome.

No, but seriously? Literature (poetry, short stories), other video games, movies, novels, quotes, history. There are all kinds of places you can find inspiration for setting, plot, character development and other important factors that make a good story.

[Miss Rigi]

I tend to build ideas from a simple concept instead of a complete story in mind. For example, a story could be based off the concept of the character being guided through by a voice in their head.

[Statyk]

I usually use my imagination. I really do like to come up with original ideas =] Sometimes they don't work but it's the build-up that makes everything better. Sciophobia's STORYLINE has been thought of, tweaked, and re-arranged for about 4 weeks almost...

[Kman]

I come up with a REEEALLY simple idea, usually something inspired by a movie or other video game. then from there i think about how you could develop a story around that idea, and as time goes on it just starts to get more and more complex until i feel it's ready to be presented. to be honest, i have a huge catalogue of stories in my head that I've thought of over time, and whenever i need one for a writing assignment, short film, or in this case, a custom story, i just pull one out that i feel fits best with the project and use it.

[Mine Turtle]

weirdly, i choose books. there are tones of material out there that is so unknown and well made, and its really inspiring to read what someones come up with ( i never copy directly from a story though)

[Rapture]

Step-by-step process of how I get a idea...

1) I take 20 ideas from other people and mash them together into one.

2) While in the process of mashing the ideas together, my mind wanders adding an additional 40 while forgetting half of my original 20.

3) Of the additional 40 and 10 I kept together. Only 10 are useable after a long thought proccess.

4) Thinking of how to use them, I forgot 50% of the previous 10 ideas.

5) Trying to remember the ones I forgot makes my head swirl. Losing a additional 50% of the current ideas.

6) Telling myself it was a stupid idea after another long thought process, I remember faintly the original idea I had at the start and go with it. Deciding later that it was also a flawed idea somewhere in the middle of production.

[Khyrpa]

I haven't really managed to use this yet, but it seems like a good way to build a story.

If you have one thing you’re influenced by, everyone will say you’re unoriginal. But if you rip off a hundred things, everyone will say you’re so original!

[Statyk]

Step-by-step process of how I get a idea...

1) I take 20 ideas from other people and mash them together into one.

2) While in the process of mashing the ideas together, my mind wanders adding an additional 40 while forgetting half of my original 20.

3) Of the additional 40 and 10 I kept together. Only 10 are useable after a long thought proccess.

4) Thinking of how to use them, I forgot 50% of the previous 10 ideas.

5) Trying to remember the ones I forgot makes my head swirl. Losing a additional 50% of the current ideas.

6) Telling myself it was a stupid idea after another long thought process, I remember faintly the original idea I had at the start and go with it. Deciding later that it was also a flawed idea somewhere in the middle of production.

That sounds extremely efficient XD